Page 107 of The Deal

I shake my head. “I don’t think so,bella.”

As much as I’d love her company, there’s no way I’m taking any chances with her. I have no idea what awaits me in Griffith.

“I’m coming, Alexander,” she snaps, her voice firm and determined.

“No, you’re not!” I reply, the words sharper than I intended.

“I either fly with you, or I’ll make my own arrangements. I know where the burial is being held; I saw the paperwork you left on the bedside table.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to stifle the frustration building inside me. She’s a hell of a lot safer with me there keeping an eye on her than making her way on her own, but I don’t feel comfortable with this.

The biggest dilemma I face is that she’s as stubborn as they come. I know damn well she’ll do exactly what she threatens, whether I like it or not.

She reaches the bottom of the stairs, stopping in front of me. Her arms slide around my waist as she tilts her head back to make eye contact. “I’m not letting you face this alone, Alexander.”

I love her for saying that, but I still don’t like the idea of her coming along. “Chloe?—”

“I’m coming … you can’t stop me.”

I could lock her away in her room, but I don’t want to do anything that’s going to make her upset with me again.

“Please don’t fight me on this. You are safer here.”

“I’ll be safer with you.”

“Amore mio,” I whisper.

“Don’t …” Her voice wavers, but her grip tightens, as if she’s afraid I’ll slip away. “I saw how hard you tried to keep it together yesterday. Please, let me be there for you today.”

I turn my face, fighting the burning knot in my throat, but it’s no use. “I’d rather do this alone.”

She tilts my chin gently, making sure I meet her eyes. “Alex, you don’t have to be strong with me. You lost your father. It’s okay to grieve. Let me help you through this.”

Her words cut through me, making something deep inside me give way. It’s been so long since anyone’s cared enough to carry some of this weight for me.

I clear my throat as I pull her face into my chest in an attempt to hide the tears that are now blurring my vision.

“Alright,” I find myself saying. I only hope I don’t live to regret this. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her as well.

My stomach tightens as the gates to my father’s estate creak open, and the car slowly makes its way down the long, winding driveway toward the house. I promised myself that after the murders, I’d never set foot here again, yet here I am.

Dante asked me to grab a few things of his while I was in Griffith, including emptying out my father’s safe. After everything that happened, I don’t feel good about him returning here, so once the will is read, I’m hoping I can talk him into selling the place.

He can always buy something else if he still wants tocontinue living in Griffith after he recovers. There’s too much pain tied to this house, too many memories that will haunt him if he stays.

The burial was yesterday, and it went smoothly. I did have some extra security in place to protect Chloe, just in case.

Surprisingly, I remained strong until the final song ended. The flashbacks got to me, but not the dark, painful memories I expected. Instead, they were the happy moments from my life before everything changed.

I saw my father swinging me around in his arms when I was a little kid, our fishing trips to the lake, him patiently teaching me how to ride a bike, our family vacations to Italy, and the time I helped him build a treehouse on the property for Dante and me. Things I’d forgotten, stuff that was buried underneath the horrors that came later.

Chloe held my hand the entire time, but when I finally let my guard down and gave myself a moment, she wrapped me in her arms and just held me.

I keep my gaze fixed ahead as we near the grand house where I spent my childhood. Thankfully, the pool is in the rear, so I don’t have to see it from here, but even so, I can’t bring myself to look in that direction.

As we step inside, an unsettling silence hangs in the air, the house feeling oddly still and lifeless.

“You okay?” Chloe asks, her voice soft as I hesitate in the foyer, struggling to summon the strength to move forward.

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